We have found 19,298 posts across 4 actor forums:
Filmmaker - Question about Acting contract by vanityfantasy • last post Jul 15th
I've found myself in a bit of a conundrum. For my previous shorts I'd get in touch with actors directly, sign a contract, shoot the whole thing, then pay them at the end. Now, for an upcoming project with a bit of higher budget, that shoots in 2 months, I've had to talk directly to an actor's agent for the first time. He's waiting for me to send over the contract, and I need to complete the pay clause in it. What is usual setup for an indie short? Is it odd to pay after the shoot? Is 50% upfront 50% after more common? When is the 50% usually paid, right away or really close to the shoot (in my case matters, as that is 2 months away) Maybe it's none of these options, and someone can enlighten me, thank you
New voice actor looking for tips by JMRZ27 • last post Jul 15th
Hey guys I’m 19 and have just started to try voice acting on Fiverr slowly starting my career. I’m starting to get down when looking at already established voice actors in their 30s or 40s since they’re so far ahead of me. I know I shouldn’t compare because of the massive age difference but I can’t help it. I want to be just like them. I’ve already auditioned for things before and even had one paid job already. I also finished a voice acting course on Udemy and am seeking for acting classes and to hire a studio for a showreel. I wondered if anyone had any tips for this youngster. Thanks!
I don't know how to overcome the nepotism in the LA theatre/film industry by TheatreThrowaway3 • last post Jul 15th
I grew up in the South in an area where no one ever left their hometown, and as a result went to my BFA program and MFA programs without any real connections (other than to the acting professors I worked under). Despite being told by my mentors I'm just as likely as anybody else to get cast, I just simply don't believe that's true, even if I happen to be better trained/more talented than others. I've only ever landed half a dozen or so callbacks despite a degree from a top 10 MFA program (and I even attended grad school in the LA area), and I've been working for nearly four years. Sometimes if I'm feeling particularly bitter, I'll do some research on the people that actually did get a part, and I'll find out that most of the time they were either (A) spouses/partners/family members of the other actors or directors or (B) they worked under the director in grad school or undergrad. For people who were in the same rut I'm in, what finally gave to where you were getting ANY acting work? Edit: I should say, none of my acting professors are really involved in the industry anymore, which might be my downfall. A lot of them worked in different markets, like Chicago and New York and are transplants to the LA area. Is that really enough to make my degrees irrelevant in LA?
Should I spend all my time trying to become an actor? by Cold-Handle-827 • last post Jul 15th
I understand that very few people make a living as an actor. I looked it up and sources say only 2% of actors actually make a living. My goal is to make a living off of acting. I’m not saying I want to be the next tom cruise, but I do want to be able to support myself enough to the point where I do not have to do side jobs to make money. But is it worth it? Should I risk trying to become and actor to make a living, or should I spend my time trying to do something else? What do you guys think, and has acting worked out for you guys?
Advice about intimate scene by Opposite-Ad-5605 • last post Jul 15th
Hi! Using a throwaway account. I need your guys advice and perspective. My girlfriend has been offered a roll in a theatre play. It is a relatively small production but still a big step up from her normal "semi-professional" theatre performances. The play is about a (straight)couple living apart during covid lockdown, the feeling of longing for one another, breaking the rules to go and see each other. Here is the big issue. The play will involve a sex scene, where the actress preforms brief but real oral on her co-star. My girlfriend hasn't accepted the offer. She believes in the directors intensions - it helps that it's a woman - with the scene but have some doubts about the necessity. Still she is totally in love with the rest of the play and have this attitude that not everything can be 100% perfect. She wants to say yes, but want my approval first. I am quite torn. On the one hand no way I want her to do it, but at the same time I know how happy she is being on stage and how much she likes this play. Even if this is a big career step for her, I am certain her main drive for going through with it is because she believes in the project. I feel bad saying no to her. The director is half famous in our region and does a lot of "artsy" stuff. I'm completely sure that she genuinely believes that it is a necessary part of the story she wants to tell. My girlfriend tells me that it won't mean anything, that it's just a part of her job, that the kissing and caressing is more intimate etc. But it is though to accept. Even if it's part of the job the guy will still enjoy it, she will still share this intimacy with him. And it will happen during several shows including rehearsals. I will most likely say no, but I wanted to hear different perspectives on this from fellow actors.
Actor needed by Appropriate_Ice_7600 • last post Jul 15th
Need someone to call me and pretend to be my parents to get me out of plans I don’t want to do tonight any takers?
I don't know how to emotionally connect what I'm saying when I act by OkSherbert4977 • last post Jul 14th
I'm great at anger...but I'm TERRIBLE at sadness. And I've had a lot happen to me in my life but I've always known how to move on from those things incredibly quickly. In general I get emotional, but at random times. And maybe that's just how I was raised but I can't seem to open up. In performance, I just never know how to emotionally access anything in this respect and I find it comes so much more natural to other actors. Is there an approach I can take or something I can practice?
Hollywood Experience by Panth0rr96 • last post Jul 14th
Hi! I’m a rumored actor for +, mainly for story-driven directed series. I’m looking to match/talk about the past and current acting experience and future directions to benefit both consumer and director, given that most are driven by story-rumor. Would you first hand talk with the directors of movies/series, the actors in the plays, or approach them professionally via e-mail? I’ve had some hacking setbacks, so I’m a bit nervous about sharing anything. Wrong people might also be watching. Wrong people might benefit. That’s just how the industry works.
Tips for any soundproof places/environments to voice in? by Anonymicals • last post Jul 14th
Hello, I'm not looking to be a professional voice actor or even take it up as one of my major hobbies, so it won't bother me if the sound quality doesn't sound the best. The reason why I'm asking for advice is to make an archive of sorts of "documentation" or "television show" esk animations explaining my world of characters in an unique but fun way. Just a silly passion project to keep myself occupied. However, there is no cabinets or large boxes I can really use to make the echo of my voice stop, since for some reason within those cabinets or large boxes they are either unhygienic to enter (infested with moss or used to store rusty junk) or divided inside with columns. Even just a short comment naming a place or technique to make the sound quality would be MAJORLY APPRECIATED
When should I sign up for casting sites by Jacob34521 • last post Jul 14th
I’m a very new actor and I’ve read through a lot of the !beginner and through the FAQs. A little background for you guys, I am 17 and I just recently took my first “acting class” it was more of a stage fighting class but it still counts in my book. I’m about to take my next class very soon and it will focus more on the actual acting. Me and my mom have lots of camera equipment and I was planning to take my headshots pretty soon as well. So my questions are when is a good time to sign up for casting sites? After a few more classes? Some experience under my belt with plays? Or can I start doing it as soon as I get my headshots? Also what’s your opinions on doing unpaid work just for the experience? Like I said I have never acted before. I do feel like my type is rarer than most in the industry however, which might give me an edge lol. Thanks for your help!
How to give Good Direction by -BenHereBefore- • last post Jul 14th
Hi everyone, Not sure if this is the right place for this kind of question but here it goes. I have a small YouTube channel and I’ll hire voice actors from time to time to voice lines in my script. Some times it’s just a voice over for a manga panel and other times I have them dub over scenes in anime and I edit the lip flaps. I realized after my most recent and biggest project that I was having some difficulties communicating what I wanted from the VA’s I hired and had to ask them to redo lines and I’d write notes next to their part on the script trying to give a feeling of what I’m going for. Explain the context and feeing behind a line. In the end I thought it worked out ok but as Voice Actors are there ways you prefer direction when acting? Or is there an industry standard that I could lean on? Does text next to your lines help? Or do you like when the script writer sends an audio file with an example of how they’d like it read, etc. I’m hoping to just cause less back and forth and confusion when working with people. Any advice would be super helpful! Cheers
Waiting around by Strict_Carpenter_661 • last post Jul 14th
I’ve done a fair few of extra work so I’ve experienced the boredom of waiting around for you to be called on set. But I was wondering what the experience is like for main actor/lead on the same set, do they face the same boredom or is their experience a lot different.
Best way to keep throat clear? by BlueSquire2 • last post Jul 14th
Not a voice actor but record audio for video essays. I find that my throat can get flemmy and raspy like 3 paragraphs into a session. Any advice on how to remedy this so I can record longer without it sounding like I’m losing my voice?
Los Angeles Based Film Schools, a Breakdown by rosencranzand • last post Jul 14th
Me again. So I've talked about spending over a decade as a struggling actor in LA. I thought it might be useful to some of you to share my thoughts about what I think is the most valuable resource in this "town:" **Film Schools**, which are as abundant as they can be. I'll try not to generalize too much, especially in cases where I've only had brief experiences with them, but I want to contextualize that over the years I probably did over 50+ student short films/projects, from thesis projects to in-class exercises. Here's my breakdown in ascending order of prestige, not worth. NYFA With campuses all over the USA I'm sure NYFA varies widely. My experience was with the one in toluca/lake burbank. I did a couple short films and a thesis. The pro was that the thesis paid, and had a pretty well run set. NYFA has a bit of a bad rap in some circles, but I don't regret my experiences there. They clearly have the money (or the students pony up the money) for equipment, and their program will have older filmmakers, which can be an advantage. They seem to be lacking in facilities to shoot in, and I didn't get an especially favorable view of the culture there, but I'd rate them solidly neutral. Art Center College of Design - Pasadena I did an in-class exercise with their directing teacher who (if he's still there) is somewhat of a legendary figure. They paid me 50 bucks cash for it. I also did a commercial for them which won a student ad award. They paid me 150 bucks cash on the day. Not a ton of experiences to evaluate, but the cash was much appreciated! I gather they're a very technical school, so the quality could be higher than most for reel footage. The Pasadena campus is lovely if you happen to shoot there. I would often be on the lookout for projects from this school. Based on my experience I'd say they're underrated. Loyola Marymount A few awkward auditions made me question the "professionalism" of this film school, but a thesis project I did remains among one of my very favourite projects. I still keep in touch with the director. They have some studio facilities, not too unlike UCLA but not as impressive as USC. I don't have enough experiences to evaluate them in general, so my positive experience is probably skewed. UCLA I did numerous projects at UCLA including senior and junior thesis, (One of them MFA I believe?) and various undergrad short films and some in-class exercises. I actually like the vibe at UCLA a lot and enjoy their campus. They don't have the pressure like USC of thinking they're "the best" and they still have a pretty nice facility and access to a lot of resources. I didn't like a class-room exercise with one of their directing teachers, and thought he was an idiot/dinosaur. I have a more favorable view of UCLA than USC (as you'll see) however I don't know if they deserve to be ranked that highly either. I would always consider their projects on a case by case basis (as you would at any school) so you could say I'm pretty neutral-positive with them. USC Oh boy did I do a lot of USC projects over the years! They have their BFA, MFA and also, a summer school? Only one experience with the summer school but it was among my worst. Based on that, I would be wary of that brief program which seemed ill-attended to at best. The BFA is the program that gets all the attention and was the majority of my experiences, from in-class exercises, recreations of famous movie scenes, to run-and-gun projects, to thesis, to their sitcom and feature film projects, the last two of which I never felt that inclined to get involved in. You have to be careful to see what kind of project you're auditioning for and consider the spectrum that it lies on. Of the numerous experiences I had at USC, I can't really say I remember any of them especially fondly. There are good young filmmakers there and there always will be, but there will also be a lot of entitled rich kids too (sorry USC, I know you're not the only one with this characteristic) who are under the illusion that they're something special. In short, I would say USC is very overrated, and looking back I would probably have done less there, and more somewhere else. But granted, most projects are USC projects. Their facilities are first class however, so for that, they're number one, I suppose. AFI (A quick note: It's a little contentious whether you can or can't do AFI projects if you're not SAG? I always thought you had to be which is why I only did them after turning SAG but I guess its possible? It used to be that you were signed up for the SAG conservatory and you were cast through their office and IACTOR, but this seems to have changed.) AFI is like an intermediary between the other film schools and the professional world. The reason being that the students are older, often professionally experienced, the expectations are much higher, and their projects (including what they call "Bootcamp" which is a filmed exercise where you don't get the footage) are accomplished with a full set (compared to many smaller USC projects for example which are skeleton crews.) This makes a big difference. The funny thing about AFI is that their casting process is the only thing that is lacking and on-par with the amateur nature of the other schools, largely because they don't have the time. As a result, they often cast based on actors they saw on set, helping their fellow directors. Which, is a big reason to perform in their "Bootcamp" exercises even though you don't get the footage. More often than not, I was cast in one projects based on doing a previous projects. To this day, my reel is composed of professional TV/Film projects and the other clips are from "Cycle" films. The quality difference is pretty large compared to other film schools, not only in the footage shot, but their writing program attracts talented folk as well, AND since your fellow actors are typically SAG and may not do student films unless its AFI, that improves the experience as well. I won't say that every experience was golden, and the pressure definitely has some of these filmmakers close to cracking sometimes, but largely everyone stays professional and the fact that you have a full crew makes a HUGE difference. Also, you're usually fed very well, compared to the Subway sandwich platter you get on so many student films. AFI projects are the only school I would almost never say no to, and if I was still in LA, I'd still be doing them when I can. RIP Art Institute. I didn't have much good to say about them. Never got to work at Chapman but obviously I heard good things. I'm curious if anyone had any thoughts about LA Film School? I got offered roles there but felt iffy. Curious about your experiences! Hope this was helpful to some of you!
Fear of failure and expecting too much from myself by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Jul 14th
I feel like I expect too much of myself as an actor because I internally feel a NEED to be successful, to be regarded and recognized as a great actor. I want to be loved as an actor. I need approval and acclaim. Because it’s what makes me feel worthy, validated, and like I’m “someone”. I feel like I need to be the best actor in the room. Like I need to be better than everyone else, otherwise, what’s my value? If I’m not the best, then I’m a failure. I’ve felt like a failure my whole life, and I can’t tolerate the idea of being a failure as an actor. I just can’t. I feel like if I fail, it defines me as an actor, and as a person. Realistically, I'm not even sure how much I should expect from myself. I'm only 21, a senior in college, and have been acting for the past 8-9 years in community theatre, school productions, college productions, some short amateur films, and a season of summer stock. What can I expect from myself? I hate that I feel this way. I really do. It makes me feel self-centered, unrealistic, narcissistic, and disgusting. I wish I didn’t feel this way. I don’t understand why I think and feel this way, but I worry that this is something I won’t be able to let go of. I love acting. It’s all I really think about. There is nothing I want to do more on this Earth than to act. I love it so much it feels like I’ve devoted my life to it. I’ve read several acting books, I’ve tried practicing Chekhov exercises on my own, I do my own research, I’m working on my monologue repertoire, I’m always thinking about the roles I could play, the next role coming up, etc. I feel like it’s the reason I was put on this Earth. I feel like if I fail as an actor, there won’t be anything else for me to live for. I need some help with this. I know this subreddit is not for therapy but given that this is a community made of people who love acting, I figured this is the best place to talk about this. I’m sorry for getting too personal.
Scene ideas? by Lauchis • last post Jul 14th
Hi everyone! Hope it's ok to ask this, I thought I could get some good ideas from fellow actors... A couple people from my acting class and I are getting together to film a few scenes so that those of us who don't have reels yet will have something to show, and honestly just to practice on camera as well. I wanted to see if anyone here had some scene suggestions that we could do. We're all looking but it's hard sometimes to come up with things when you have free range of absolutely anything! Shows or films will do. They'd have to be rather simple two people scenes, since we're filming in an apartment, so not much action/movement, some sitting down scenes, that kind of thing. We're all in our late 20s and early 30s, if that helps at all. Thanks in advance!
Results vs journey of performances by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Jul 14th
I think I’m more focused on the results of my performances rather than the journey. Like, I’m more focused on how my performances will appear to the audience and how they will reflect my talent and skills as an actor rather than me enjoying the experience of creating and performing my roles (living in the moment and being this other character). What does this problem sound like? I really want to overcome and shift my focus to enjoying the creative process and experiencing the part rather than focusing on what I want the audience to perceive of my character and me, but I don’t know where to begin or where to start. Thanks, everyone.
What's the deal with Mena Masoud? by Essam2000 • last post Jul 14th
I know I'm three years late but I am just researching movies and I came across Aladin and the actor that's in it which is Mena and how he is complaining he's not getting any Auditions ever since the movie came out. What is your guy's opinion on him? Do you think it's his agent's fault? And do you think he should've never said anything about not getting auditions?
Am I SAG eligible? by Entertainer-United • last post Jul 14th
I got my first principal role in a Sag-Aftra new media commercial as a non-union actor. Am I SAG-E now ? If I am, do I ask production to Taft-Hartley me or how will the process go down? Thank you so much!
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Feedback by AutoModerator • last post Jul 14th
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.